


cloud 9

by dearfelix



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-06 06:43:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13405641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearfelix/pseuds/dearfelix
Summary: Stray Kids requests and ficlets. Feel free to request something in the comments!





	1. Chapter 1

**title:**  cheer up, baby

 **pairing:** changbin x felix

 **rating:** pg

 **genre:** canonverse, 100% pure fluff

 **summary:**  “promise to cheer during my performance?” “i’ll cheer the loudest.” (based off of changbin and jisung's KILLER performance during the jyp vs. yg battle.)

 

 

 

changbin glanced around the simultaneously cramped and daunting practice room, nerves beginning to settle in. it was almost his turn to perform and he couldn’t help but feel a heavy burden on his shoulders, to show the yg trainees that his company had just as great rap talent, to make jyp proud, and…well, maybe to impress a certain sunny, cute blonde-haired boy.

 _speak of the devil_ , changbin thought as said sunny, cute blonde-haired boy sauntered up to him with a sunny, cute smile. beyond the other’s shoulder, changbin saw the film crew along the wall of the room signal for everyone to get back in their places–yg trainees on one side, stray kids on the other, and the two unsmiling ceos at their table in the center.

“nervous?” felix asked in his slightly accented korean ( _cute_ , changbin mused), reaching out to straighten changbin’s hoodie and adjust his hat so it sat just right. “don’t be, those kids can’t touch you. they’re here”–felix placed one hand flat between them–”and you’re here”–and proceeded to jump up with the other hand stretched above his head to show how much greater changbin was than his “rivals.” ( _cute_ , changbin thought again.)

changbin shook his head lightly and let his signature smirk slip onto his face. “i’m confident, but…you have to promise to cheer during my performance. extra loud. like you’re my fanboy or something."

felix nodded fervently, taking changbin’s words a little too seriously. “i'm your  _number one_  fanboy! i promise i’ll cheer the loudest.”

and cheer the loudest he did. halfway through his performance of matryoshka with jisung, changbin glanced over to where felix was sitting and had to hold back his laughter at the sight of the boy jamming and bopping to the music. _focus_ , changbin chided himself. for the rest of the performance he was careful not to look over at the blonde-haired boy in case he really got distracted and forgot his lyrics.

after the film crew gave the room the signal to take a break while they readied the next segment of the episode, felix instantly bounded up to changbin and gave him a congratulatory punch to the arm, beaming brightly like always.

“that was seriously perfect! did you hear me cheer?”

changbin raised an eyebrow teasingly. “yeah, you were so obnoxious i almost got distracted and forgot all the words.”

felix’s face instantly fell ( _okay really how is this kid so cute_ , changbin internally shouted to the universe) and he looked up with apologetic eyes. “oh…sorry. i’ll be more quiet next time.”

“nah, i like your obnoxious cheering,” changbin smiled and tapped his chin as though deep in thought, “but you can make it up to me by giving me a kiss on the cheek.” another smirk played on changbin’s lips as he closed his eyes and tilted his right cheek toward a wide-eyed felix. a few seconds passed as felix remained frozen and just as changbin was about to move back, he felt a soft pair of lips brush against his cheek.

changbin’s eyes flew open, his sweaty palms betraying his ever stoic face. he expected to be met with a close up of felix’s freckled face, but was surprised to see him sprinting to the other side of the practice room into a hysterically laughing jisung’s arms. felix glanced back at him, blushing madly, before redirecting his feels by playfully throttling jisung by the neck.

changbin reached up to lightly rub his right cheek as he looked on in amusement at an embarrassed felix. all he could think was:  _cute_.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Find me @/smileyfelix on Twitter and Tumblr.


	2. Chapter 2

**title:**  underground prince

 **pairing:** changbin x felix

 **rating:**  pg

 **genre:** hs!au, fluff...again

 **summary:** felix finds out that the quiet emo kid in one of his classes is a rising star in the underground rap scene.

 

 

 

felix had stayed up too late the night before watching  _twice_  videos, been half asleep all day during school, and finally passed out on the bus ride home. the next thing he knew, the bus driver was kicking him off at the last stop far, far from home and, in his drowsy state with a bit of drool still on his chin, he’d obediently exited the bus. by the time felix realized that his phone was dead, the bus had driven off. 

felix took a look around, getting a bit nervous upon seeing the deserted street lined with boarded up stores and a few small warehouses, the setting sun casting long shadows. he guessed that he was near the water, in some forgotten part of the shipping district. it wasn’t a dangerous part of town, but if he got attacked he’d only have his taekwondo skills to rely on because there probably wasn’t a soul for miles. he needed to find a phone and call his parents as soon as possible.

just as that thought entered his mind, his ears perked up, picking up the faint inkling of a bass sound–music. music meant people, right? felix followed the sound for a few minutes until he reached a small building with a sign reading  _chan’s kitchen_ above the door. although the building was dark and empty looking on the outside, felix could clearly hear music coming from inside. when the door didn’t open at his insistent push, he knocked as loudly as he could.

“password?” a voice demanded from inside.

“uh-” felix began, a part of him confused and the other part laughing at how cliche the situation was. weren’t exclusive password clubs only a thing in old movies?

“ooh, that voice of yours, you must be one of the newbie rappers. come on in!”

the next thing he knew, the door had swung open and felix was being pulled into the darkness. when his eyes adjusted, he found himself in a short hallway leading to a dingy room lit up by strobe lights and a few hanging bulbs. the room looked like an unfinished basement, but it was packed with young guys in head to toe streetwear. they were all facing a makeshift stage at the back of the room. some popular hip hop music was blasting from the two speakers on either side of the stage. it seemed like everyone was waiting for some show to start.

“hi, i’m jisung! usually chan is at the door–-he’s probably the one who recruited you–-but he’s fixing a sound issue right now. what’s your name? are you part of a crew? is this your first rap battle?”

“i’m felix…” he answered slowly, trying to understand what the hell the hyper kid in front of him, who had presumably been the one to pull him inside, was talking about. “uh, i’m not part of a…crew?”

he was saved from having to answer the rest of jisung’s nonsensical questions by a silver haired boy, who looked like he was at his wit’s end.

“jisung! what are you doing chatting away _again_? we’re on in five, get your ass to the stage.”

with a quick apology and wave, jisung and his friend were weaving their way through the crowd toward the stage. felix was more than a little intrigued about what exactly was going on so, against his better judgement, he began pushing his way toward the stage too. just as he broke through to the front row, the silver haired boy had climbed on stage and was tapping a microphone for soundcheck. 

“hi hello!” the boy spoke into the mic. “i’m chan as most of you know! thanks for coming out to 3racha’s monthly rap battle, where we gather some of seoul’s most promising young rappers and watch them battle it out for the title of _underground prince_. are ya’ll ready for a good show?”

a roar of cheers rang through the cramped room and felix instinctively joined in. okay, true, it was a tuesday and he had an exam he hadn't started studying for the next day, but felix was never one to pass up on some fun.

chan continued, beaming after hearing the cheers. “let’s start off with a performance by the reigning underground prince, 3racha’s very own spearb!”

felix’s jaw fell open when this so called spearb made his way on stage. that wasn’t “spearb," that was _seo changbin_ , the quiet emo kid in his ap biology class who always, without fail, wore all black. changbin was a year above felix but they had shared a few other ap classes in the past as well.

felix couldn’t recall ever hearing the other speak. felix, on the other hand, was a natural social butterfly, often called “sunshine boy” by his female classmates. he had always steered clear of changbin and his cloudy corner of the classroom, not because he was intimidated but because, well, felix may or may not have a secret crush on the moody boy.

and here that secret crush was now, saying something into the mic and almost kind of smiling. felix noted that changbin had a nice, deep voice–-albeit not as deep as his own-–and a just as nice, soft smile. his smile was almost kind of cute?

just as the thought entered felix’s mind, changbin launched into his rap and  _wow,_ his smile may be cute but his rap certainly wasn’t. even to felix’s untrained ears, he knew changbin was the real deal. matching the pulsing beat from the speakers perfectly, his raspy voice spit out bar after bar of killer lines. at one point he took a deep breathe and launched into the fastest verse felix had ever heard. the crowd went wild when changbin finished confidently without a single trip up and felix couldn’t help but join in the hooting and hollering.

changbin bowed at the crowd in thanks and when he stood straight again, his eyes fell on felix’s. reflexively, felix smiled one of his bright smiles and waved. they may not talk, like ever, but changbin was still a classmate and it was only polite to greet him. however, to felix’s surprise, the rapper’s eyes grew wide and he ducked his head to hide in the shadow of his cap. in the next second, he had rushed off stage and was pushing a confused chan back toward the microphone. 

felix was a bit bewildered by the whole exchange but figured that changbin was just embarrassed that his classmate had found out about his secret double life as an underground rapper–-or rather, an _underground prince_. felix didn’t have much time to dwell on it because chan was already introducing the next rapper, a certain j.one who turned out to be jisung from earlier.

 

 

 

for the next hour felix got lost in the rap battle, which was more of a friendly performance by young rappers who all seemed to know each other. the show was certainly way more fun than studying for his physics exam. when the battle finally ended and jisung was selected by the crowd as the new underground prince for the month (via a voting app that chan was a little too excited to demonstrate to everyone), felix had decided he’d attend more of these rap battles in the future. he was glad he'd missed his usual bus stop and somehow stumbled upon this scene.

as the crowd began to disperse and talk among themselves, felix finally remembered his original mission of asking someone for a phone to call his parents with. he was about to ask the random guy standing next to him when he felt a tap on his shoulder. he turned around to find a blank faced changbin standing in front of him.

“oh hey! you did great,” felix beamed. when changbin seemed at a loss for words, he laughed and backtracked, “you probably don’t know me, but i’m in your bio class. i’m lee felix.”

“i know who you are,” changbin spoke, “we were in a few of the same classes last year too because you’re in that accelerated program. you always get in trouble for talking in class but the teachers still like you a lot.”

felix was a bit surprised at how much changbin knew about him, but a part of him was secretly really happy about it. “i thought you’d have no idea who i was since you don’t speak to anyone at school.” 

changbin rolled his eyes at that, “just because i don’t speak doesn’t mean i don’t pay attention. you’re pretty popular so people are always talking about you.”

“saying good things, i hope?”

“yeah, i like how everyone calls you sunshine b-” changbin’s eyes grew wide again, like earlier on stage, and he cut himself off with a cough. he averted his eyes awkwardly, like he’d accidentally let slip a major secret. felix realized in amusement that the other was embarrassed.

“sunshine boy?” felix smiled, “i didn’t like it at first, but i guess i do laugh a lot and i like making people happy. i kind of like that nickname now too.”

“yeah, your smile is kind of sunny too,” changbin said quietly, almost observantly, and then coughed again in embarrassment.

felix raised a brow. was he reading too into things or was changbin…flirting? with him? before they could continue, a body barreled into changbin, attaching himself to the shorter’s back.

“hi again!” jisung greeted loudly, chin now resting on a red-faced changbin’s shoulder, “so you weren’t a contestant, but a friend of binnie’s?”

felix muffled a laugh at changbin’s nickname, which didn’t fit his image but at the same time seemed to fit perfect. he nodded, figuring classmate was close enough to friend.

“what’s your name?”

“lee felix,” felix answered politely. he didn’t understand why, but changbin, who had been shooting him  _don’t say anything to jisung_ looks, suddenly let out a long sigh of defeat. 

“oooooooooh,” jisung trilled giddily, “ _lee felix_ , the infamous, one and only,  _lee felix_. i’ve heard  _so much_ about you from our binnie.”

“you have?” felix asked, confused.

“did i hear someone say _felix_?” another excited voice joined the fray. chan appeared next to a now furiously blushing changbin, and leaned in closely as though to inspect the details of felix’s freckles. “you’re felix?”

bewildered, felix could only nod.

“binnie, you’re right, he  _is_ really cute,” chan muttered, continuing to observe felix like a nosey father-in-law.

“he’s  _soooooooo_ cute,” jisung practically shouted in glee.

with a mortified  _ohmygod_ , changbin escaped from jisung’s clutches, grabbed felix’s hand, and hurriedly pulled him away from the prying eyes of his friends. he pulled felix through the crowd and didn’t let go until they’d escaped outside  _chan’s kitchen_.

after a moment of silence, changbin cleared his throat and faced felix with a nervous smile. “i’m sorry about that. my friends are a little crazy. i told them i thought this boy in my class was cute and they wouldn’t stop bothering me about it, so i told them the boy’s name is felix to get them to shut up.”

“oh,” felix found himself a little disappointed at the explanation, “so…why'd you randomly say  _my_ name?”

“no, it's not like that,” changbin shook his head. he paused a moment as though considering what to say before sighing tiredly, as though he’d given up on preserving whatever sense of dignity he had left, “okay, listen, i've thought you were cute ever since i first saw you in ap calculus last year. i’m always looking at you in class...and sometimes i tell jisung and chan about you, like weird stuff you did in class that day or stuff i've heard about you, so they like to tease me about you…”

felix couldn't believe his ears. was he in some kind of wonderfully realistic dream? this couldn’t be reality. first, he’d stumbled upon some secret underground rap scene; then, he’d found out that his quiet emo classmate was a rap god; and now, that classmate, who just happened to be his long-time crush, was _confessing_ to him.

“what’re you doing?” changbin asked worriedly as felix pinched himself repeatedly to wake up, “are you okay?”

“i- uh, yeah, okay, this isn’t a dream.”

changbin looked at him weirdly, shaking his head to affirm that, _no_ , this wasn’t a dream but in fact really happening.

“okay,” felix cleared his throat nervously, “first, can i borrow your phone? i fell asleep on the bus, which is how i ended up here, and my parents are probably worried out of their minds about me. second, i’m glad you think i’m cute because i think you're really cool and i've had this big fat crush on you for a while now.”

changbin smiled widely at that.  _he’s cool but his smile really is very cute_ , felix noted. shyly, changbin reached into his pocked and offered his phone.

“here, you can use mine but on one condition.”

felix cocked his head, a bit confused.

“you have to enter in your number after.”

 

 

 

at the sound of his blaring alarm, felix drowsily reached for his phone to shut it off. just five more minutes. he was having a very nice dream featuring his secret crush--a certain seo changbin--confessing his feelings for him.

when felix finally got ahold of his phone to check the time, a text on his lockscreen made him jolt wide awake.

 _good morning, sunshine boy,_  it read.

and it came from someone felix had apparently entered into his phone as “underground prince.”

felix smiled giddily, suddenly excited to roll out of his warm, comfy bed and go to school. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Find me @/smileyfelix on Twitter and Tumblr.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the time I wrote this, I didn't know "Gyu" isn't actually the name of Changbin's Munchlax plushie so...let's just pretend it is lol.

**title:** all i want for christmas is gyu

 ** **pairing:****  changbin x felix

 **rating:** g

 **genre:** canonverse, all i write is fluff oops

 **summary:** changbin wants to make felix’s first christmas away from home a happy one.

 

 

 

“so, what’re your christmas plans?” changbin asked, settling in next to felix against the practice room’s mirror. felix was still breathing heavily from exertion since the dance line had just shown the members some new choreography, his mop of black hair hanging in front of his eyes and his white tee sticking to his chest. it wasn’t a bad look…not a bad look at all. changbin was trying his best not to stare too hard. really, he was.

felix simply shook his head. his face had fallen a little. changbin frowned, leaning in closer to the other boy, “hey, what’s wrong. you okay?”

“i just…” felix raised his eyes to meet changbin’s, and changbin noticed with dread that they had widened into felix’s signature sad puppy eyes. ah, so that’s what it was.

“your parents left right after the final episode’s live performance right? you’ll be in korea alone for christmas this year?”

felix nodded sadly. changbin’s frown deepened. he liked felix’s happy face, his determined face, lovey dovey asking-for-a-kiss-on-the-cheek face, charismatic on stage face, but not his sad face. he would do anything to have felix return to his usual cheerful self.

“let’s spend it together,” changbin suggested. his parents wouldn’t mind if he brought a friend home for the holidays and their mansion of an apartment definitely had enough space to accommodate.

 

 

 

changbin excitedly grabbed felix’s hand and dragged him into his home. felix had texted him a couple seconds ago saying that he’d arrived and was waiting outside the door, probably too nervous to ring the bell. felix was always hyper and loud in front of the camera, but changbin knew that at all other times he was pretty shy and content to remain on the sidelines. he found the duality kind of endearing.

willing himself to stop thinking too much (sometimes changbin would start thinking about felix and just…not stop…for hours…), changbin instructed felix to put on satin house slippers and began proudly giving him a tour of his home. some highlights included their crystal chandelier, marble countertops, and mahogany dining table. changbin’s parents, who were putting the final touches on christmas eve dinner, greeted felix warmly, to which a still nervous felix responded with a ninety degree bow and stuttering korean. at last they arrived at the final room, changbin’s room.

“you can stay in my room tonight and i’ll take the guest bedroom next door,” changbin said, opening his door. “my room’s the warmest in the house, which will be good since i know that you’re not used to the cold winters here yet.”

“what’s this?” felix asked in amusement. he was making a beeline straight for changbin’s bed where–  _oh no_.

“NOTHING,” changbin rushed forward in an attempt to grab gyu, his precious but highly-embarrassing-given-the-circumstances (y’know, the circumstances where he was trying to impress his secret crush) pokemon plushie.

felix laughed and raised the plushie above his head out of changbin’s reach, “it’s cute! i can’t believe i finally get to meet gyu in person after seeing your segment in the first episode.”

felix gave gyu a nose nuzzle, his face breaking out into one of his sunny smiles as he turned back to changbin. needless to say, changbin was feeling really very attacked by the sheer amount of cuteness. he wanted to be nuzzled too, his dark image be damned.

before he could stop himself, changbin found himself saying, “you can sleep with him tonight if you want.” w h a t.  _seo changbin, do you realize how childish and weird that sounded?_  changbin wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.  _this is_ not  _part of your plan to impress felix_.

instead of shooting changbin a strange look, felix perked up, “really? thanks hyung! i left my bunny plushie back at the dorms so i’ll cuddle gyu instead.”

changbin blushed, imagining felix cuddling gyu, a plushie  _he_ usually cuddles. that’s, like, an indirect cuddle, right?

“enough of gyu,” changbin muttered. after all, felix was here to spend christmas with him, not gyu. “let’s go eat dinner now!”

felix followed after him happily, both of them singing jisung’s food song as they made their way back to the dining room.

 

 

 

later that night, after everyone had gone to bed and felix was drifting off to sleep with gyu hugged tightly to his chest, he heard a light knock on his door.

“changbin?” he called quietly.

a pajama clad (black silk, in case you were wondering) changbin tip toed in, signaling for felix to shush. he made his way to the bed and crawled in, settling in next to felix.

“uh, hyung, what’re you doing?” felix whispered.

“i can’t sleep without gyu,” changbin explained.  _lies_ _._ “and the guest bedroom is too cold.”  _also a lie._

“okay  _sure_ hyung, whatever you say,” felix smirked teasingly, but he shifted closer and moved gyu to fill the few inches between them. first gyu stole felix’s attention earlier that night, and now gyu was the only thing between changbin and felix. for once, changbin wasn’t loving his beloved plushie so much.

after the fun but tiring christmas eve celebrations, the pair easily drifted off to sleep.

sometime in the middle of the night gyu may or may not have been shoved off the bed and sometime before they woke up the two may or may not have inched closer to each other. all changbin knows is the next morning he woke up to face full of soft black hair and a still sleeping felix burrowed into his chest.

_all i want for christmas is ~~gyu~~  you._

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Find me @/smileyfelix on Twitter and Tumblr.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as requested by felix_freckles
> 
> (i'm selectively filling the requests i think i'd enjoy writing)
> 
> UNBETA'D

**title:**  an inkling of love

 **pairing:** chan x felix

 **rating:** pg

 **genre:** soulmates au, romance

 **summary:** on the eve of felix's eighteenth birthday, he received his tattoo, a stain on his skin that would burn through to his heart when his soulmate was near.

 

 

 

felix had been giddy with excitement for years but now that the moment had finally arrived, he was hesitant. he shrank back from the nurse in front of him, warily eyeing the strange tool in her hand that resembled one of those price scanners from hundreds of years ago.

"c'mon boy," she coaxed, "it won't hurt. the tattoo will be beamed onto your skin in seconds."

felix nodded reluctantly. it wasn't like he had a choice anyway--this procedure was required by the government for all those who were of age. he leaned forward and tilted his head slightly, baring the right side of his neck to her, and squeezed his eyes shut. he felt the cold metal of the beamer slide along his neck for a few seconds and then the nurse was informing him the procedure was over. when his eyes fluttered open, he spun to the face the mirror next to him.

there, sprinkled along one side of his slender neck, was a tattoo of twinkling stars.

 

 

 

the year was 2268 and the world was peaceful. there hadn't been a war or civil unrest since a century ago, engineered crops and lab-grown "meat" kept the populace well fed, and people lived stress-free, happy lives. a lot of the peace could be attributed to a program began in 2100 that quickly spread around the world--the _soulmate calibrator_. through a combination of mind reading technology and biological analysis, a way to detect true soulmates was discovered.

the united states had seized upon the discovery, launching a program in which anyone aged eighteen or older could receive a tattoo infused with the _soulmate calibrator_ 's algorithm. when soulmates with tattoos were within close range of one another for the first time, the tattoos would burn to signal one another's presence.

the idea of the program was to help people find happiness, leading to an improved economy and society. at first, the program had struggled because it was only effective if both people in a soulmate pairing had a tattoo, but as time went on more and more people pushed for widespread acceptance of the program. now, it was government mandated that every person must receive a _soulmate calibrator_ tattoo on his or her eighteenth birthday.

 

 

 

felix clambered off his heli-board the second it lowered to the ground. he ran into his pod home, excited to virtual chat all of his friends and show them the black stars dotting his neck.

"mom! i'm home!"

his mom waved him over to show her the tattoo and hummed in approval once she saw the pretty design. "you kids are so lucky. the tattoo parlors nowadays are really stepping up their game to compete. look how pretty yours is compared to mine!" she pouted and motioned to the crudely draw crescent moon on her left ankle. felix just giggled at his mom's playful childishness, reassuring her that she was pretty no matter what.

"oh, sweetie," she called out as he began to head for his room, "chan swung by earlier today. he wanted you to go over today, said it was urgent and had to be today?"

felix raised a brow but shrugged. something urgent? he had no idea what that was all about.

chan was...his neighbor, or at least that's what he started off as. now he was...a friend, a close friend. if you were to ask felix to describe who chan was to him, he would get to "friend" and then not know how to continue. in a world where everyone waited around patiently for his or her soulmate, there were no words to describe the expansive gray area in between friendship and love. as the _soulmate calibrator_ became a daily part of everyone's lives, many even began to forget that such a gray area existed.

felix was young though, just barely eighteen. he didn't think too deep about matters of the heart, especially when they frustrated and confused him. he would leave the complications of _feelings_ up to the _soulmate calibrator_ now seared onto his skin.

speaking of which, felix couldn't wait to show chan his new tattoo. chan, who was a year older, had gotten one of a strange dinosaur or worm (felix tried multiple times but couldn't get it out of the older what exactly the creature was) on the inside of his right forearm. now that he had a tattoo as well, chan wouldn't be able to tease him about what a baby he was anymore. felix decided to save virtual chatting for later and instead head next door to chan's.

 

 

 

over the years, the two and their families had gotten so close that felix and chan just came and went from one another's homes like it was their own. felix knocked briefly before barging through the front door of chan's home. he shouted a greeting to chan's parents who were lounging around downstairs and dashed for the steps.

halfway up the steps, felix felt something stab at his heart and almost crumpled to the ground in shock. he immediately froze. the sensation had subsided but there was still a dull heat spreading through his body. felix had always been perfectly healthy, so he was more than a little bewildered. once he unfroze and cautiously walked up the rest of the steps, the painful feeling seemed to be building up again, but wasn't nearly as strong as before.

by the time he arrived outside chan's room, he was practically panting with the effort of suppressing whatever the hell he was experiencing. just as he schooled his face from a grimace into a strained smile, figuring he'd just ask chan about it (in felix's mind, chan knew the answer to everything), a voice from inside chan's room shouted out an urgent  _don't_.

"chan, you okay?" felix shouted back through the closed door, his pain momentarily forgotten at hearing his friend's pained tone.

"just- just a second."

too worried about his usually calm friend's harried tone, felix ignored the request and threw open the door. his eyes took a second to adjust to the dimmer room. when they refocused, he saw chan curled on his bed, his mop of silver hair a mess. the older boy looked up at him and then immediately averted his gaze to the carpet

"i told you to wait a second..."

"i was worried, you idiot," felix grumbled, walking toward the other. the slight burning sensation that had spread through his body hadn't subsided, but he was already getting used to it. "what's wrong? you look pale."

chan looked up at him again, this time staring intently at him, as though trying to discern his thoughts. "you...really don't know?"

felix shook his head in confusion.

"aren't you in pain?"

felix's jaw dropped. how did chan know? he nodded slowly and lifted a hand to cover his heart, where the uncomfortable heat seemed to be emanating from. he moved his hand to follow the waves of discomfort, following the trail up and up until-  _no, it couldn't be_. his hand now lay over his still fresh sprinkling of stars. he hadn't realized before, but his new tattoo was hot to the touch.

the  _soulmate calibrator_ embedded in it was reacting.

too shocked to say anything, felix simply stood in front of chan with his head bowed and hands shaking. his mind was racing a mile a minute. when- how- nothing made sense, but at the same time everything made sense. at some point during the stifling silence, chan had shifted into a sitting position. he reached out to take felix's smaller, softer hands in his, pulling the younger to stand between his legs.

"hey, look at me," he coaxed, but unsuccessfully. felix allowed himself to be pulled closer to his friend, his _friend_ , but didn't dare look up. the painful heat from his body had spread to his cheeks, but he knew his face was burning for an entirely different reason--felix blushed easily. "why're you being so shy all of a sudden?"

when felix didn't answer, chan let out a laugh, albeit a short laugh that morphed into a pained coughing fit. at that, felix finally lifted his head and watched helplessly as the older's face distorted slightly.

"why- why are you in so much more pain than i am?"

chan sighed, but didn't seem too upset about it as he explained, "when you're around your tattooless soulmate a lot, the reaction is extra strong once your soulmate finally gets one. something about the _soulmate calibrator_ being extra reactive to soulmates with a long history together. i expected this and i'm glad it's me, not you."

felix couldn't decide whether to hug chan comfortingly or scream at him for being a selfless idiot again, so he did both. felix crawled onto the older's lap, petting his hair soothingly while muttering  _you're so dumb_ under his breath repeatedly. chan laughed, agreeing, as he lay his head against felix's chest, and enveloped that smaller boy in a tight hug. the pain for both of them was beginning to subside. after all, the  _soulmate calibrator_  was only supposed to react when the tattoos of soulmates first came into contact.

"so, you said you expected this?" felix spoke up after chan's labored breaths had quieted into more peaceful, even breathing.

the silver haired boy nodded with a wry smile. "i've known for a long time that you're my soulmate, way before either of us had our tattoos. i'm almost a little offended you're so surprised right now, but i also know you're the densest kid ever and probably think the way i act toward you is totally normal."

felix pouted indignantly, but didn't argue back, suddenly recalling all of the times chan had gone out of the way for him, helped him, comforted him, protected him. he had chalked it up to a strong friendship, but, now that he thought about it, the older boy didn't pay nearly as much attention to their other friends.

"i've been waiting a long time for this," chan continued, "so i wanted to see you as soon as you got your tattoo to confirm it. i guess you didn't expect it at all but i hope you're okay with it, because i can't help but feel really happy right now."

the small nervous smile adorning his long-time friend's face made felix melt. it was true that he hadn't expected this to happen when he came over, or ever for that matter, but now that it had, he felt...happy, too. really happy. his soulmate was chan, _his_ chan who secretly occupied the unknown gray area between friend and lover. the painful burning was completely gone now, replaced by a pleasant, tingly sensation concentrated in the pit of his stomach. almost like little butterflies were fluttering around inside. that was weird--the  _soulmate calibrator_ wasn't supposed to cause this sort of reaction.

"i hadn't expected it, to be honest," felix admitted, "but- but this feels right, somehow. i'm really glad it's you, channie."

"yeah?" chan's uneasy smile had transformed into a giddy, almost goofy one. felix's heart squeezed at the sight, but this time it wasn't in an uncomfortable way.

"...yeah."

 

 

 

being official soulmates came naturally to the pair. they had always acted like soulmates--spending every free moment together and interweaving themselves in one another's lives--so being confirmed by the _soulmate calibrator_ didn't really change anything between them. at least at first.

over weeks and then months, felix became more aware of things he had previously overlooked. chan remembering his likes and dislikes even if he only says it once, chan tensing up subtly when other boys or girls approach him, chan staring at him with soft smile when he thought he wasn't looking.

over weeks and then months, felix also became more aware of his own feelings. the previously unknown gray area was now filled with feelings for chan that he embraced confidently.

they were somewhere beyond friendship, inching closer and closer toward love.

 

 

 

(the day after discovering they were soul mates, chan had finally taken a closer look at felix's choice of tattoos.

"what do you think?"

chan had cupped the sides of the younger boy's face gently, leaning in close with a tender yet serious expression that made felix's breath catch in his throat.

"it matches your constellations of freckles. it's beautiful, like you.")

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! kudos / comments appreciated~
> 
> find me @smileyfelix on twitter and tumblr


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jisung x felix as requested by edelweisshine and millyonreasons

**title:** quarter past two (i’m here for you)

 **pairing:** jisung/felix

 **genre:**  college au but barely, angsty angst, hurt/comfort-ish

 **summary:** jisung always goes when felix calls.

 

 

**nine thirty**

news of felix and changbin's messy breakup spreads across the tiny campus like wildfire and reaches jisung’s ears by the end of his first class. he immediately checks his phone in case his best friend had texted him, but his last message from felix was from a week ago.

it’ll come though. jisung has been there for felix through one too many of his breakups and knows to expect a message soon.

jisung can't help but smile wryly to himself, unsure if he’s happy or sad or a little of both. mostly, he’s just tired.

 

 

 

**two o'four**

that night, jisung finishes his homework early and then goes off to bed. he makes sure to leave his phone on his nightstand, fully charged and set to loud.

the call comes some time after two. he clears his throat to chase away the sleep before picking up his wailing phone.

“hi?”

“hey, it's me,” felix's voice is weak and shaky—he probably cried for hours. jisung wants to ask  _for how long? were you alone?_  but holds his tongue.

“i know."

the next words come timidly, haltingly from felix, “can you come over?”

jisung curses to himself silently, but moments later he hangs up, gets dressed, and leaves for felix's dorm.

 

 

**quarter past two**

he's shivering from the sharp late-night chill when he arrives fifteen minutes later. before he can knock, the door is thrown open to reveal a haggard looking felix, swallowed up in an oversized black hoodie that jisung recognized as changbin's. 

“are you-“

felix cuts him off with a sudden hug, although it lacks the warmth of his usual hugs. felix is clinging onto him too tightly, a tinge desperately, craving for something that jisung can’t quite put his finger on. as the boy in his arms starts to break down again, a part of jisung also breaks, but for now he pushes that part of him way, way down.

 

 

 

**two thirty seven**

a while later, the sobs quiet, stutter, and then fade into silence. felix carefully extracts himself from their embrace and crawls under his covers, patting the spot next to him for jisung to join. his eyes are already half closed, weighed down by a tiredness that only comes from a heavy heart. he rubs at the last of his tears before jisung's outstretched hand can thumb them away. jisung lets his hand fall into his lap, unnoticed.

he watches his friend warily—something is different today. after every other breakup felix had talked and talked, probably to distract himself, but tonight he hasn't spoken a word. feeling unsure of the situation, jisung remains frozen in his spot on the edge of felix's bed.  

“changbin must’ve meant a lot to you.”

felix shakes his head indignantly but his voice is cautious, “not really. he meant about as much as my other exes.”

“you're lying,” jisung forces his voice to be lighthearted.

the room lapses into silence, an awkward one, but it's broken several seconds later when felix sighs in defeat. he regards jisung with watery eyes.

“it's not just because of changbin. it's more than that," he explains with a sort of raw emotion that jisung hasn’t seen from him before. "i’ve realized i’m a lost cause. i feel so- i don’t know, there’s this empty feeling that will never go away. even when i'm with someone, i feel this way. you know changbin, minho, all of them, i wasn’t with them because i fell for them. it was more like i hoped i would start to feel something for them over time. i want that so much. i want to fill this emptiness in me with love, but i just can't,” felix pauses and lets out a dry laugh. “oh god, i sound so ungrateful and whiny, don't i? my life is good so i should be happy. i think there's just something wrong with me.”

felix's wry, self-deprecating tone makes jisung unbearably sad. he wants to hug the other tight again. (he wants to kiss him silly.)

 _it’s not your place_.

he should at least say something. he has a million things to say, but-

 _it’s not your place_.

jisung feels a lump begin to form in his own throat as he watches fresh tears slip from felix’s eyes, falling onto the pale bed sheet.

“i’m sorry...fuck, i can’t stop crying. you should go,” felix burrows further into his blanket, sobs wracking his body as jisung looks on helplessly.

 

 

 

**three o'two**

it’s a leap of faith, or possibly a lack of willpower, that leads jisung to scoot forward and lay beside felix. they’re encased in a cocoon of warmth, facing one another as he gently brings his friend flush against his chest to muffle the sobs. he rests his chin on soft locks of blonde and soothing massages the other’s back. rather than shy away, felix curls in further, all the while taking deep breathes in an attempt to calm down and stop his barrage of tears.

jisung finds it endearing and painful all at once. he’s more than a little surprised that felix is opening up to him so completely and willing to lean on him. for a few minutes, he holds his breath, waiting to be pushed away. instead, the opposite happens. jisung feels felix begin to relax against his chest, the shaking soon reducing to occasional tremors. the silence lingering around them is lighter than before and it’s just a matter of time before sleep washes over them.

 

 

 

**quarter past three**

(just before they drift off completely, jisung mumbles the question that has been dwelling in the back of his mind for a long, long time—ever since felix called him over after the first breakup, seeking comfort.

_“why can’t you give me a chance?”_

maybe he has already drifted into dreamland, but he thinks he hears a sleepy hum in response.)

 

 

**nine fifty five**

the next morning, jisung wakes up to find the spot next to him cold and empty. his heart sinks because he was hoping...just, hoping. with a sigh, he rolls out of the narrow bed (it’s a bed meant for one after all) and prepares to head out. before he can though, the door swings open.

felix stands there huffing slightly from climbing the stairs of his dorm building, his hands clutching a crumpled brown bag with small grease spots dotting the bottom. seeing jisung in the middle of shrugging on his coat, a slight frown flashes across his face.

“no breakfast?” felix’s husky voice is nervous, uncertain. “i bought hash browns, your favorite.”

jisung blinks, blinks, blinks, before his mouth stretches into a bright smile.

“breakfast sounds nice.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments & kudos are appreciated~♡
> 
> find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/smileyfelix) / [tumblr](https://smileyfelix.tumblr.com)


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